Appearances Can be Deceiving
by OtakuMisaki
Summary: One day, Saito and Okita are patrolling the area, only to be stopped by the noises of battle. They rush to the scene and see a defenseless, yet beautiful girl at the hands of merciless rogue samurai. However, for these two, appearances can be deceiving and who they thought was a defenseless girl may turn out to be a swift warrior. I do not own anything of Hakuouki, the OC is mine
1. There's trouble around every corner

It was just another day of patrolling. Saito Hajime walked in silence by his comrades, Okita Souji and Todou Heisuke. Saito looked up into the sky and felt a sense of relief come over him. The sky would be clear and sunny today. A beautiful day to watch the cherry blossoms. His relaxation soon turned into confusion when he glanced at Heisuke and saw him creating a commotion with a couple of rogue samurai. Saito sighed to himself and continued walking alongside Okita. They knew that Heisuke was capable of silencing the rogue samurai. Saito glanced at Okita and noticed a smirk on his face while glancing at Heisuke. Saito smiled at the Okita. Although he had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, he seemed as livelier than ever. He remembered when he first met Okita and their first duel. They seemed to be evenly matched, but Saito didn't really care about the outcome as much as Okita. He was proud to have a new friend. Although he knew that there was no cure for tuberculosis, he thought that his friend would not go down confined in a room. "Souji?" he asked.

"Yes, Hajime-kun?" He responded.

"Would you like to spar once we finish patrolling?"

Souji's eyes widended and instantly lit with fire. "Of course, whatever you need to help you feel better at night."

"I will give it my all and as a warrior, I expect you to do the same."

"Of course, Hajime-kun. I don't plan on having you win. Just make sure you have my prize ready for me when I win." Their conversation was cut short when a gun shot was heard, followed by a scream. Okita and Saito rushed over to where the noise was. They turned a corner and saw a women standing there, with an emotionless expression. She was dressed in a lilac kimono and her hair was done in an intricate fashion. Saito felt confused, but he did not let that show as it would go against everything the Shinsengumi stood for. His eyes scanned the rest of the scene. There were men that held up guns and prepared to fire again. Saito's eyes flashed towards the girl, feeling wary. Their eyes locked and in a millisecond, she pulled out twin swords just as the guns were fired at her. She deflected each bullet with precision and avoided redirecting them at the innocent bystanders. One by one, the men fell to the ground as each redirected bullet struck them in their hearts. All that was left was one man and his knees began to shake violently with fear. He raised the gun with trembling hands and prepared to fire, but the girl pulled out a shuriken and knocked the gun out of his hand. She sheathed her twin swords and pulled out a pair of sais. She rushed towards the man and struck his knees, knocking him to the ground. Okita and Saito watched in amazement and the graceful movements of this girl. Saito was about to assist, but Okita pulled him back, "No, wait. Let's see what she plans to do." Saito reluctantly obeyed, his eyes never straying from the girl. The girl asked him in a sharp voice, "What are you after?"

"We were told that we would receive a lot of money if we killed the female ninja. There is a bounty over your head and everybody that is in on it knows who you are. You can no longer hide," The man laughed maniacally.

"It's such a shame…"

"Yeah it will be when the boss catches you and does…" the man started speaking obscenities.

"Let's see if he can catch me first. Too bad for you though." The girl got up and started walking away. The man took the moment to reach for the gun, but the girl felt the movement of the man and threw the sai into his chest, instantly killing him. Okita whistled. "Wow, Hajime-kun. Can you believe it? She did so without even looking. I think I'm in love."

Saito didn't say anything and watched the girl clean her blades. He walked over to her, whilst ignoring Okita's voice calling him back. The girl looked up and said, "What? Don't tell me you are also after the bounty…"

"No, I was curious as to why those men were after you and why there is a bounty on your head?"

"I don't really know myself. I guess there are some men that can't stand a female warrior that is better than them."

"Well, it takes more than being female to be better. It also takes skill and from what I've seen so far, you clearly have it. Would you like to battle with me sometime? I'm curious to see what other skills you have."

"No problem. You look like someone that can put on a great fight."

"I'm Saito Hajime." He held out his hand.

"I'm Azuma Misaki. It is a pleasure to meet you Saito-san," she replied while extending her hand for a handshake.

"And I'm the one and only Okita Souji!" Okita interjected.

"Is he a friend of yours?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. Don't mind his mannerisms, he can be a arrogant guy, but he is also a valiant warrior."

"So, you seem new here. How about I take you to the best place in town to eat and get a drink." Okita said as he put his arm around Misaki.

She pulled out a sai and pinned his sleeve to the wall. She continued walking with Saito towards the Shinsengumi's headquarters. "Hey guys! Don't leave me here!"

Saito turned around with an emotionless expression and said, "you should learn to control yourself."

Misaki turned around and replaced the sai with a shuriken. She ran back to Saito's side and explained, "That is one of my favorite blades, I figured it would go to waste if it was left with that fool."

"You are correct."


	2. The Bakufu Wolves' Den

To Misaki's disappointment, Okita managed to catch up to them. She kept flashing her sais as a warning to Okita to stay away. Okita started to say something, "Hey, Misaki! How about you put that little sword away?"

Misaki glared at him and hissed in reply, "It's Azuma-san to you. And I'll tell you where I'll put the sword away. I'm gonna shove it up your-" Misaki stopped talking and she suddenly became bubbly. There were new dual swords for sale. She ran up to the shop and asked how much they costed. Saito followed immediately, also interested at the new display. Okita huffed and walked away, muttering about how Saito was being a cockblocker. Saito and Misaki didn't pay any attention to him, because they were too entranced by the detail of the swords. Saito watched in silence as Misaki lifted the swords and weighed them in her hands. She put the swords down and tried the next set. Saito didn't want to put Misaki in an uncomfortable position by talking about the swords in such a high manner. It was difficult for him to be himself when he was around a girl, especially one that was dressed in such an attractive fashion. He watched Misaki in silence as she tried each of the swords. While Misaki was engrossed in a conversation with the shop owner, Saito took the chance to look at one of the swords. The detail was flawless and the weight was satisfactory. He put the sword down and turned towards Misaki, only to see her looking at him. She raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. Saito remained silent and started to walk in order to hide his blush. He felt uncomfortable because he no longer knew how to act around Misaki. Misaki followed closely behind him and observed him in silence. "You know, it's okay to be interested," she said. "Excuse me?" Saito replied.

"It's okay to show that you're interested in swords. I mean, you are a samurai. It would be weird if you didn't like looking at swords. If anyone should feel awkward, it's me because most guys find it weird to see a girl interested in such items."

Saito didn't say anything, but Misaki knew that he understood what she meant. They continued to walk in silence until Misaki suddenly wandered off. Misaki's face was happy and smiling. It was different from the smile from earlier because she wasn't as relaxed and care-free as she was now. Saito eyes wandered and locked onto what caused such happiness in Misaki. There was a black kitten with green eyes that Misaki focused hard on. She stroked the animal's fur and the kitten purred in response. Misaki picked up the kitten and walked back to Saito. Saito's face softened at the sight of 2 beautiful creatures together. He knew that Hijikata wouldn't approve of this animal being in the Shinsengumi headquarters, but he didn't want to be the one to make Misaki's smile dissipate. They continued walking and made their way to the entrance of the headquarters. Heisuke was there and he shouted, "Saito-san! Why did you leave me to deal with those samurai? You and Okita left me there and didn't even come back. Next time we go out, you're buying me some sake…" His voice trailed off until his eyes focused on Misaki. "Who's that?"

"Azuma-san," Saito replied. "I'm taking her to see Hijikata."

"Oh? Hijikata is out right now. He's finishing some recruiting with Yamazaki and Shinpatsu-san."

"I see. Is Yukimura-san here?"

"Yeah, Chizuru is finishing up cleaning all the uniforms. I can go get her if you want."

"That won't be necessary. I brought Azuma-san, so she is my responsibility." Misaki stood there in silence, watching the exchange between the two. She watched Heisuke nod his head and made room for Saito to pass by. "I shall be back," he called over his shoulder.

"Hello, I'm Todou Heisuke. Everybody calls me Heisuke. Can I call you by your first name?"

"Yes, I'm Misaki."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Misaki! By the way, what did you do to Okita-san? He came back in a foul mood."

"Let's just say that he has no idea how to keep his mouth shut at times."

"Did you really pin him against a wall?"

Misaki remained silent and changed the subject, "So who is Chizuru?"

"She is another girl that is staying here. She is staying with us while we search for her father. She's around the same age as me. She is a great cook and really nice, but she can be clumsy!"

"Heisuke-kun! Don't speak untruths!" a female voice said. A girl came into Misaki's vision. She had brown hair and was dressed in male clothing. _An ideal disguise._ Misaki thought. The girl turned towards Misaki and said, "You must be Azuma Misaki. Hello, I am Yukimura Chizuru, but you can call me Chizuru. May I call you Misaki?"

"Yes. It's very nice to meet you, Chizuru."

"Why don't you keep Chizuru company until Hijikata comes back, Misaki?" Heisuke suggested. Misaki looked for Saito as if to ask for permission, but he was gone. Misaki looked back at Chizuru, "If that's alright with you, Chizuru."

"Of course! However, you might was to stay away for Nagakura-san and Harada-san because they aren't fans of cats."

"Of course, I don't want to impose on your hospitality." _Who am I kidding? If they don't like it then they can leave._ Misaki thought.

"Well, I'll see you at dinner. Bye, Misaki! Bye Chizuru!" Chizuru and Misaki waved goodbye and headed to Chizuru's room. "So what's your cat's name?"

"This was a stray cat I found, so it's not originally mine, but I'm planning on keeping it. I'm going to call it Yukiko." The kitten mewed in acceptance, liking its name.

"Yukiko…that's a cute name. Any reason why you chose that name?"

"Because her belly looks like it's covered in snow and that reminds of the fun times you can enjoy while it's snowing. Especially when the sakura trees are in bloom." Chizuru opened the door to her room and let Misaki in. "This is your room?"

"Yes."

"It's very nice. Better than what I was in."

"Where did you stay?"

Misaki changed the subject and said, "I think Yukiko is tired. Is it okay if she sleeps in here?"

"Of course! We can leave milk for her when she wakes up." Chizuru set up a futon for Misaki and Misaki tucked Yukiko in and she immediately fell asleep. "You can sleep in here since there aren't that many spare rooms and the Shinsengumi occupy the rest of the area. For now, would you like to help me with dinner?"

"I'd love to!" Chizuru was so chipper that it was hard for Misaki not to smile. She was going to enjoy being around people such as nice as Saito, Chizuru, Heisuke and Okita. Although Okita wasn't her favorite, he was tolerable.

**Thank you SeiryuNoAme for the follow and thank you CloeGryffindor for the favorite. Thanks to Aogetsu (Guest) for the review. I really tried to apply your critique to this chapter and I hope that you enjoy it! Please keep it coming with the reviews! Enjoy ^-^**


	3. Unreasonable circumstances

Misaki started chopping the vegetables up while Chizuru prepared the fish. Chizuru decided to engage Misaki in a conversation, hoping to learn more about her, "If you don't mind my asking Misaki, what town are you from?"

"Oh, I don't mind at all. I'm not really from a particular place. I've travelled from place to place and never stay in a area too long," Misaki replied honestly.

"It must be very tiring. Why didn't you stay with your parents?"

"My parents are dead. And it felt desolate and depressing to live in such a house all by myself."

"I'm so sorry! Please excuse me for my insensitivity!"

"It's quite alright. It happened a while ago so I've had more than enough time to come to terms with it. Please don't think you have to be careful about what you say around me. I'll let you know when you've gone too far, kay?" Chizuru and Misaki continued talking, completely unaware of someone listening in on their conversation. Saito stealthily left before he could be discovered, with an emotionless expression on his face. All of a sudden Misaki stopped talking. "Please wait a moment, Chizuru. There are some pests I must deal with." Chizuru was as confused as ever as she watched Misaki quietly leave the room. She continued cooking, knowing that Misaki was more than capable of defending herself. She couldn't understand, but there was something very strange about Misaki. It gave her a feeling that made chills rise up her spine and made her skin crawl. She shook her head, thinking she was overreacting because Misaki seemed like a nice girl.

Meanwhile...

Misaki stood in the shadows outside as the sun had disappeared and night came. She felt the change in the wind and followed it, all while sticking to the shadows. She noticed a red-haired man that was trying to get into the room she shared with Chizuru. Next to him was a brown-haired man. She took out a shuriken, aiming it at them, but then stopped and lowered it. She decided that fraudulent display would please her more than pinning them to trees. She walked up to them and said, "Hello! You must be the two men that I was told about," Misaki gave the biggest smile, which took over the two men's attention.

"Whoa! Hijikata-san got us a geiko from the red light district!"

Misaki grimaced, but it quickly disappeared as fast as it came. She continued to play along. "I have prepared something for you in Harada-san's quarters. There is sake and entertainment." The men had a goofy grins plastered to their faces. "If you would please follow me." They followed her to Harada's room and once the door behind them closed, the lights were turned on. They saw nothing. No sake, no entertainment. Just an empty room.

"Where's the sake you told us about?" Nagakura asked in a surprised tone. Misaki had her back to them and swiftly pulled out her shuriken and pinned them to the walls. They frantically tried to get their katanas out, but were unable to. "What's going on?!" Nagakura yelled.

"Now, now. That's no way to speak to a lady, let alone a geiko. Could you please tell us why we are pinned to a wall and can it be done without this much physical confrontation?" Harada said.

"First off, it's rude to try to go through other people's belongings. Second of all, quit the sweet talk. That's not going to work on me. And you, stop your whining. You must be Harada-san and the one that is called Shinpatsu-san. I was warned about you two by Heisuke. Do you know who you are dealing with?" Misaki said as she took out a pair of sais.

"Shinpatsu-san, I told you it was a bad idea. You insisted that Chizuru said it was okay, why do I listen to you?"

"Enough talk. I can't stand those that don't know their place," Misaki hissed as she lunged towards them, with the sais ready to strike. Her attack was stopped by a green-haired man. Her eyes bore into violet eyes, never wavering. He didn't pursue her, but instead said to her, "You must be Azuma Misaki. What an interesting way to meet you, about to kill 2 of the Shinsengumi's unit captains."

Wow, I never expected this chapter to turn into this. Sorry that I haven't posted anything in a few days. I've been busy with work and celebrating my birthday:) officially 18 and it feels great! Anyway, I would like to thank Ilovedarkpasts for the favorite and follow and MetricKitten for the follow as well.

Please excuse any mistakes that were made as I typed this on phone. Please continue to tune in as I will try to update more frequently. Please leave a review and thank you so much!

~OtakuMisaki


	4. The Alpha Wolf Among its Pack

Misaki stood there, holding her ground. She put her sais away, but remained on guard. "You must be the Oni Vice-commander that everyone is talking about, Hijikata-san."

Hijikata's facial expression remained hard and he raised his sword up, "And what is the meaning of this?"

"Relax, I wasn't going to kill them, I was just trying to scare them a bit. Put the sword down or else I'll have to do something I really don't want to do."

"Is that a threat?" Hijikata growled, pointing his sword at her. "I'm not afraid to kill a female if you are interfering with our goals."

"Hey, Hijikata! Don't be so mean to Misaki! I warned her that Shinpatsu-san and Harada-san would try to do something stupid. If you want to blame someone, you should blame those two," Heisuke came in and put some distance between Hijikata and Misaki.

"Is this true?" Hijikata asked the two, not allowing his eyes to leave Misaki.

"Well, you see Hijikata-san, we thought that you got us that geiko, but I can see that we were wrong," Nagakura replied.

Hijikata sighed and sheathed his sword. "I apologize for his idiocy. He is obviously the last person I wanted you to meet upon your arrival. Harada-san! What is your excuse?"

"I listened to this idiot," Harada-san huffed.

"Do I look like a geiko to you? You obviously shouldn't make assumptions or try to break into someone's room like that! Next time Hijikata, won't be there to stop me if you step out of line again," Misaki scolded.

"You tried to break into her room? Saito informed me that she was sharing a room with Chizuru. Why would you do something so careless and stupid. You know the consequences of straying from the path of the warrior. Why you do such a stupid thing?" Hijikata yelled.

"I wanted to see the new girl."

"And I let him do whatever he wanted." Misaki noticed that Harada-san was not the one at fault here so she unpinned him and put the shuriken away. "Thank you. I am very sorry. That is the last time I let him do whatever. He really meant no disrespect."

"Now, your punishment Nagakura. You will follow Chizuru's and Misaki's orders until I feel that you have learned your lesson. Misaki, I would to speak to you privately. Harada-san, you can get Nagakura down from there. And make sure he doesn't drink any sake tonight. The last thing I need to deal with is this man running around like a drunk idiot." Hijikata left the room with Misaki following closely behind him. They went to the discussion room and sat down. "I think that could one of the worst introductions possible. I truly am sorry for their stupidity and bluntness." Hijikata rubbed his eyes in frustration and exhaustion. "First off, I would like to know why you have come here."

"I came here because Okita-san and Saito-san insisted that I meet you and stay here because there is currently a bounty over my head. I have been travelling from place to place for as long as I can remember and if it is okay for you, I would like to stay here for some time, just to get some rest and relax for a bit."

"Why are there people out to kill you?"

"I honestly don't know why. It may have to do with my parents' death. They died when I was young, but then I went to stay with my grandfather until he was killed while I was out. I have no remaining family members so I have been on my own for a long time."

Hijikata looked at Misaki with hard eyes. He was full of questions, but he knew better not to pry because time would reveal those answers in time. Still, there was something different about her. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. "Excuse me, Hijikata, if you would excuse my behavior for a moment." Hijikata opened his eyes and saw Misaki open the door and look into the shadows. "Saito! If you want to listen in, you should do it where Hijikata can see you! It's rude to eavesdrop." Hijikata's eyes widened, surprised that Misaki was able to notice Saito. He could have sworn that he saw a faint blush in Saito's cheeks, however it was difficult to tell because it was so dark out. Saito walked closer and looked to Hijikata. Hijikata nodded in acknowledgment and Saito took a seat next to Misaki and closed the door behind him.

Saito sat in silence until Hijikata questioned him, "Saito-san. Please explain why you are here."

"Excuse me. Hijikata-san, I think that it would be helpful and considerate to allow Misaki to stay here. She can fight so she is more than capable of defending herself. She can also assist Chizuru in cooking if needed," Saito explained.

Hijikata stared at Saito. He was surprised that Saito was going through so much trouble to keep her here. When Chizuru had come to stay, Saito was ready to kill her. Hijikata felt a newfound respect for Saito and agreed to his reasoning. "Alright. If Misaki would agree, I would like her to help us with patrolling and train with some of our unit captains when needed. I think that we could learn a lot from her fighting style. In exchange, you can stay here for as long as you need. For now, Misaki, why don't you go eat dinner with Chizuru. Tomorrow morning, I will introduce you to the unit captains and other important people you should know. You will also train with the unit captains so we can get a better sense of where your strength lies."

Misaki bowed her head and said, "Thank you very much. I will see you in the morning." Misaki left the room and closed the door behind her and headed to the kitchen to help Chizuru prepare the dinner trays. As soon as they were sure she was gone, Hijikata looked at Saito and locked eyes with him. "I would to find out more about her parents and these bounty hunters. I don't want them coming in here and setting off our Rasetsu Unit. It's in its delicate experimental phases so I think it would be extremely important if we found the person responsible for creating this bounty. Do not tell Misaki until we have all of the facts. I don't want any of our men learning of this either. This must stay between us. Understood?"

"Understood."

**Thank you **coyote-holy** for the review and favorite! I tried to make this chapter long because you brought a smile to my face^-^! Please keep it up with the reviews, as they encourage me to continue this story!**

**~OtakuMisaki**


	5. New Beginnings, New Enemies

Misaki and Chizuru talked to each other through the night. Chizuru watched as Misaki gave Yukiko some milk. The kitten mewed in appreciation and continued eating. Misaki's eyes twinkled at the sight of the kitten and lovingly rubbed its back. "I'm really glad you're here, Misaki," Chizuru said. Misaki remained silent. She knew that this wouldn't last long and there was no chance of her maintaining her friendship with Chizuru. For she knew that like the others, her new allies and friends would be defeated and killed. She simply nodded, not wanting to verbally confirm that she would stay here. She agreed to assist the Shinsengumi in their missions, but once she felt that they received enough help, she would leave and continue travelling, searching for answers. Chizuru continued looking at Misaki with a sad expression, knowing that there was something that Misaki was not sharing, however she did not push it. She knew that given some time, Misaki would tell her. Misaki put Yukiko to sleep and watched the kit's belly rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. Misaki said goodnight to Chizuru and they both fell asleep, unbeknownst to them that someone was watching in the shadows. (Peeping Tom what?! I know, Chizuru should really learn to close that windowXD)

The next morning, Misaki went on patrol with Saito, Heisuke and Shinpachi. The villagers were taken aback at the site of Misaki with the other Shinsengumi men. However, Misaki followed silently and did not comment on being the center of attention of the village. Heisuke started talking to Saito, "Saito-san, isn't there some way we can show them that we mean no harm? They continue to talk about us negatively."

"There is nothing we can do. It's best to leave it alone," Saito replied without looking at Heisuke and continued walking.

"Eh? Misaki, you agree with me right?" Heisuke asked.

"There is nothing that can be done. There is no point in wasting unnecessary energy over something that cannot be dispelled. So the rumors would be squashed here, but there is no guarantee that they will cease to exist. There will always be someone that is against us," Misaki's face turned blank because she had said _us_. She had grouped herself together with the Shinsengumi and she knew that it would dangerous for them.

On their way back to HQ, they were stopped by three men. There was a man in the middle with blond hair and red eyes. He had an air about him that seemed arrogant and that he was force to be reckoned with. Misaki assumed that this was the leader out of the three men because the other two stood next to him as if waiting for an order. The one on his right had red hair and the one on his left had long, wavy purple hair in a ponytail. Misaki quickly scanned these men, looking for a threat. He saw the leader's katana and the purple-haired man's gun. She remained alert, but did not make a move to draw her weapons. Heisuke shouted at the blond-haired man, "Kazama! What are you doing here? Did you come to lose in a battle with me?"

Kazama's eyes narrowed in amusement and said, "No, I heard the Bakufu dogs had taken in a stray and I was most curious as to see who this person was." He glanced at Misaki and there was an interesting glint of emotion in his eyes. "I see…It seems that you possess no real skills. Tell me, why are you with them?"

Misaki's eyes locked onto Kazama's and replied, "I don't think that is any of your business." Misaki felt uneasy because there was a strange vibe she was getting from Kazama. _He's not like the others…_She thought. "I suggest you apologize and take back what you said earlier."

"About you not having any skills? And if I don't?" There it was again. A look of amusement was contorted in that smile. Saito watched the exchange with a solemn expression and Nagakura asked him, "Shouldn't we stop them?"

"It is not something that involves us. Kazama questioned Azuma-san's skills as a warrior and therefore, it is between her and Kazama. Heisuke, stand down and let Azuma-san fight her own battles." Heisuke huffed and backed up and gave Misaki and Kazama space.

"I'll be forced to slap that ridiculous smile off of your face," Misaki said seriously. Misaki looked at the red-haired man who looked that he would be sitting this one out. However, it was the purple-haired man that seemed to cause uneasiness in Misaki. She hated to create unnecessary deaths and this man was not involved. "You there," Misaki pointed at the purple-haired man. "Don't make me hurt you."

The purple-haired man threw back his head and laughed. "Kazama! This girl has spunk! Perhaps, we should convince her to join us."

"Perhaps. Stand down, Shiranui. I will take her on. There is something about her that is very intriguing." Misaki watched Shiranui reluctantly back up, she knew she would have to keep an eye on him as well. She adjusted the ribbon on her head and locked eyes with Kazama again. "Just because you are a woman does not mean that I plan to go easy on you and let you win," Kazama said with a smirk. Misaki returned his smirk with her own smirk.

"If you did, that would only upset me."


	6. The Test: Reclaiming Honor

**Hello minna! Gomen, it has been a long time since I have updated. I've been getting ready for school and when I finally came back to this story, I experienced a bit of writer's block so I spent a few days working on Chapter 5. As an apology, I'm posting Chapter 5 and 6. Enjoy and Arigato for the views, follows and reviews^-^**

Kazama and Misaki stared each other down. Kazama started to draw his sword and asked, "Are you sure you want to keep such a ribbon on? It may get ruined in this…"

"Thanks for the concern, but it is not needed." Kazama drew his sword and appeared in front of Misaki. Her face was unreadable, but her thoughts were focused on one thing, _I knew something was different about him…He is not human._ Misaki dodged out of the way effortlessly. "You are rather slow." Kazama's face did not fall, instead he was amused by her reaction. He felt that something was not right about her…She was rather interesting. Normally, humans would lose to him, other than that Oni commander, Hijikata. He might have met his match once again. He appeared in front of her again and he swung his sword down. Misaki saw this coming and quickly drew her sais.

"Interesting choice of weapons," Kazama smirked. However, that smirk quickly disappeared when Misaki came at him. "She's fast…"he murmured. He didn't flinch or wince when Misaki managed to cut his arm. He waited for her reaction when she saw that his wound healed on his own, however that reaction did not come. For a split second, Misaki could have sworn she saw a look of shock on his face. She watched the wound heal itself and she smiled to herself and thought, _I knew something was off about him. _Misaki quickly sheathed her sais and pulled out a few shuriken and quickly pinned him against the wall. Kazama smirked and said, "You don't really expect that I will be killed that easily, do you?"

"Who said that I planned to kill you? I just needed you to know that I am not worthless. Now about earlier, I suggest you take back what you said."

"I'm sorry…"

"About what?"

"That you died."

Misaki turned around when she heard Shiranui move behind her. She jumped out of the way when he fired. "You didn't think that I would die that easily, now did you?" Misaki said, mocking Kazama. Misaki pulled out her dual swords, "You shouldn't have done that, Shiranui…" Shiranui fired again and Misaki deflected them with her swords. One by one, each bullet fell to the ground. Shiranui was finally out of bullets and he put his gun away. The red-haired man said, "That's enough."

"Anagiri, who made you the boss?" Shiranui asked in a frustrated tone.

"Kazama, you know as well as I do that this would not be good for the Clan." Anagiri turned to face Misaki and bowed, "I am sorry for the insolent, idiotic things he said. He talks that way to everyone. Perhaps, you could unpin him now?" Misaki was taken aback by his kindness and took the shuriken down quickly and efficiently. She tucked them away and Kazama started to walk with Anagiri and Shiranui. He turned around and looked at Misaki, "You are a rather interesting woman. I plan to play with you again," he smirked and the three men disappeared.

Heisuke ran up to Misaki, "Misaki! You were so cool! You have to show me those moves sometime." Shinpachi came behind her and gave her a pat on the back and Saito did not say anything, but instead continued walking to their destination.


	7. Secrets of the Past

**Hello again, minna! I hope that you have been enjoying the story so far and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. Onegai, R&R! Here is chapter 7, ja ne^-^!**

On the way back, Misaki did not say anything. Heisuke and Shinpachi were continued talking about what happened, but Misaki thought that that was nothing to be proud about. Her face held an emotionless expression. Although she was reclaiming her honor, she felt that deep down, something was wrong. Her parents tried to keep her sheltered from such a grotesque lifestyle, but it couldn't be helped and so they taught her self-defense. However, Misaki never could forget the sad look her father and mother gave every time she practiced. She felt a wave of nostalgia as her mind wandered to that time…

_Misaki! It's time to continue your training! A voice yelled and it was later revealed to be her father's. Misaki was eleven years old at the time. Misaki looked at her mother, who held a sad expression, "Mother?" Her mother looked at her and the sad look immediately dissipated. _

_ "It's time for you to practice again, Misaki. Do your best." Her mother managed to give a smile, but she knew that there was a hidden emotion behind it. It made her feel uneasy, but nevertheless, she ran to her father to begin her training. _

_ "Misaki…Today I will teach you how to fight against guns and arrows. It seems that there are some people that resort to such weapons. In these situations, you must use these dual swords…" Misaki learned from her father and listened carefully. Once her father was done talking, he sighed. "Misaki, you must not kill anyone unless they try to kill you. It is important that you don't hurt anyone unless they mean harm, okay?"_

_ Misaki looked at her father in a strange way, "Oto-san, why are you teaching me this?"_

_ Her father sighed once again and said, "There are a lot of people out there, Misaki. A lot of people that wish to hurt our family. In case mother and I are not there to protect you, it is important that you know to protect yourself. We worry about you. It is only natural that we do not want our daughter to get hurt."_

_ "Who would hurt you and okaasan? You're the best parents ever…"_

_ "Perhaps, when you're older, you'll understand." Her father patted her head and smoothed her hair._

Misaki felt a sense of guilt because she could not protect her parents. She wished that she understood before they died so she could protect them. However, she knew that what her father said was correct and she was thankful for his lessons.

When they arrived back at the Shinsengumi headquarters, Misaki went straight to her room without a word. The captains noticed this, but left her to her thoughts. Chizuru even tried to cheer her up, but Hijikata told her that it was best to leave her be. Once alone, Misaki picked up Yukiko and petted the kitten. It's purr was resonant through the room. That sound seemed to calm Misaki. Filled with the sound of the kitten's purr, Misaki drifted off to sleep.

_"Run! Misaki, run!" Her mother screamed at her._

_ "Mother, I don't want to leave you! I can help!" Misaki yelled back, tears falling down her face._

_ "Misaki…please. Run, don't let them catch you. Remember your father's teachings."_

_ "Misaki! Remember what I told you! You do not understand yet! You must leave in order to understand. You will grow up into a beautiful young lady and mother and I will be thankful for that. We love you, this is why you must go!" Her father yelled. Misaki's knees were shaking and she started to leave._

_ "I love you too! I'll grow up and be strong enough to make you proud!" Misaki yelled once more and ran away into the dark of the night with tears streaming down her face._

Misaki woke up abruptly and felt something wet on her face. She reached up and touched her skin and noticed she was crying. She suddenly broke down and started sobbing. She whispered while crying, "I'm sorry, mother. I'm sorry, father. I'm sorry I was not strong enough to protect you. It's all my fault, it's all my fault." Chizuru was in the room, but Misaki did not know that she was awake. She wished that she could comfort her new friend, but she did not know how. Instead, she listened to her silent cries. Unbeknownst to her, Saito had also listened in and he had an emotionless expression on his face. He turned and left.


	8. Helpless

**Hi minna~! I've been catching up on various anime and waiting for the release of a new Kamisama Hajimemashita chapter…Anyway, thank you for the follows and favorites. Onegai, R&R! Here's chapter 8. Ja ne^-^**

The next day, Misaki's eyes were red and swollen. No one dared to ask her for fear of her reaction. Saito watched her closely, but did not say a word. During meals and patrolling, Saito continued to watch Misaki in silence, he watched the fake smiles appear one after another. He watched her as she stared expressionlessly at the ground. Heisuke stepped up as if he was going to say something, but Saito had given him a glare that was intimidating to the point in which Heisuke stumbled backwards into Harada. Saito fixed his gaze forward and they continued to walk in silence.

When they got back, Misaki went back into her room without eating dinner. Chizuru pleaded with her to stay, but Misaki insisted that she was hungry and very tired. After she left the room, everyone let out a deep sigh. "Hijikata-san, it seems like Misaki has been out of it lately. What should we do?" Chizuru asked.

"There is nothing we can do. I am assuming that she is fighting against some of her inner demons and therefore it is best not to get involved and let her work it out for herself," Hijikata replied.

"But—"

"No. Leave her be. She will come talk to us when she feels that she is ready and willing." Hijikata interrupted.

"Chizuru-chan, can you bring us some tea?" Okita asked. Chizuru nodded and left the room to prepare tea. Okita checked to make sure that Chizuru was gone and decided to talk to Hijikata himself. "Hijikata-san, although it is not our place to pry, why don't we take Misaki to Shimabara and just relax?"

The oni commander held his chin in his hand, eyes closed as he gave the suggestion a thought. "Perhaps, you're right. Maybe Azuma-san needs a change in scenery, she has been on the run for so long that she has most likely forgotten how to relax. However, this isn't an excuse to get drunk. You must remain composed." Hijikata said in a harsh tone. His face softened and said, "We can talk to Azuma-san about it in the morning, for now, let her rest." Chizuru came back with the tea and handed it to each of the members of the Shinsengumi.

**_Meanwhile…._**

Misaki had fed Yukiko and put her back to sleep. The kit purred softly as it was sleeping peacefully. However, Misaki was not having the same luck as Yukiko. She tossed and turned as she was trapped in what seemed like a memory.

_"Misaki…you have to wear a ribbon over your head at all times, okay honey?" Her mother said._

_ "But, mama, I like my ears, why do I have to hide them?"_

_ "There are some people that are jealous of your beautiful ears. You must hide them, do not let anyone see them. Always make sure that it is on."_

_Misaki had gone to school that day, but like her mother had explained, there was someone that did not like her ears. It was the same bully that liked to tease her, Takuma Tsubaki. He pulled at her ribbon, exposing her ears to him. She cried and her parents instantly heard their daughter and appeared there immediately. They noticed that the ribbon was gone and in the boy's hand. They took the ribbon back and erased the boy's memories. They covered Misaki's ears and decided that she would be homeschooled from now on. They never talked about that incident because her parents thought it would be best not to mention it. They were afraid that it would happen again. _

_ When she was a few years older, her parents started to teach her how to conceal her ears using enchanted leaves. "Misaki, there will come a time when you will be able to produce your own set of leaves, but for now, mother and I will make sure that your ears are hidden," Her father explained. Even though that simple technique hid her ears, she still wore that ribbon because she felt that it kept her tied to her parents somehow. Her parents didn't pry for any information, but allowed her to continue wearing it._

Misaki woke up and felt something soft in her hand. She opened her hand and saw a leaf. Her eyes widened at the sight, tears started falling down her face. She touched her face and felt the wetness on her face. _Why am I sad?_ She asked herself. She started crying harder when she realized the answer to that question. _Now that I can create my own enchanted leaves and hide my ears, my parents have no reason to do anymore…They aren't coming back…_She continued sobbing and this night turned into the previous night, stained with her tears. She was shaking and crying so much that she didn't notice that Saito was outside once again, standing in the shadows. He quietly retreated to his own room, his expression concealed by the darkness of the night.


	9. Author's Note

Ohayo minna~! At least it's morning where I am at. I'm sorry I haven't posted chapter 9 yet...I'm working on it whenever I get free time, the fall term just started so I've been busy. However, I plan on making it a long chapter. I am working on it as we speak and please be patient.

Arigato gozaimasu~

Ja ne~

OtakuMisaki


	10. A Trip to Shimabara

**Hello minna~! I just moved into my dorm so I haven't been able to update until now. I'm all moved in and I miss my family a lot:/ But I'll see them soon, so until then, I'll try to update as soon as I can. I hope you enjoy chapter 9! Ja ne^-^**

**~OtakuMisaki**

The next day, Misaki woke up and headed to the main room where everyone was having breakfast, she was hesitant at first because she didn't know how she could face the others without thinking about the past. Lately, that was all she was thinking about and she knew it was a matter of time before the Shinsengumi figured out that something was bothering her. When she walked in, she was greeted by Chizuru, "Misaki! Ohayo."

Misaki replied back to her, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Chizuru." She tried to smile, but it came out forced and she realized that Chizuru had noticed, but neither said anything. Suddenly, the Shinsengumi came in followed by their oni commander. They were all smiling at her. All but Hijikata-san. He had a harsh demeanor about him, but his face softened when he looked at Misaki. Misaki greeted them, "Ohayo minna." She bowed and looked at them.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," They said one by one. Hijikata pushed forward and made eye contact with Misaki, "Azuma-san. We've noticed that you seem different lately. Nagakura and Souji suggested that we take you to Shimabara for a change in scenery. Would you like to come to Shimabara with us? You can just relax and enjoy yourself and don't worry. Nagakura-san will be paying for it all."

"Eh?! Nobody told me that!" Shinpachi exclaimed.

"There's no need to explain, you wanted to go so badly, it's only fair," Harada teased. "Besides, our commander said you were going to. He wasn't asking for permission." Harada smirked and Hijikata grunted and nodded in agreement. Misaki looked at everyone, surprised that even Hijikata agreed to this. His tough exterior made it seem like that this would never happen. Misaki agreed and they went to Shimabara to enjoy the hot springs. Chizuru and Misaki were on one side and the Shinsengumi captains were on the other side. Misaki kept a towel wrapped around her body and she kept a dark ribbon wrapped around her head as usual. She still felt tense because she didn't like lying to Chizuru or the others, but she knew that everything that her parents did would have been done in vain if she let her secret out. Chizuru noticed Misaki's uneasiness, but did not say anything. She decided to ease into another subject that she was particularly curious about. "Misaki…can I ask you something?" Misaki looked at Chizuru nervously, afraid of what she would ask, but she nodded her head in reply as if her body wasn't listening to her mind. "So…you and Saito-san…" Misaki's eyes widened in surprise, although she felt a sense of relief, she felt tenser than ever since she had a feeling of where this discussion was going. However, she decided that this was better than her finding out about her true identity.

_Meanwhile...on the male side of the hot springs…_

Everyone was listening in to their conversation, everyone except Hijikata. Shinpachi was trying to climb over to the women's side because he wanted a glimpse of Misaki and Chizuru. Hijikata growled and ordered Heisuke, "Get him down, Heisuke. He'll embarrass us all including the Shinsengumi name. We are valiant warriors, not lecherous perverts!" Heisuke climbed up, but then curiosity got the better of him and he tried to climb over along with Shinpachi. "Honto*…Harada-san, get them down before we are kicked out."

Shinpachi and Heisuke were pushing and shoving, "Get out of the way, Shinpatsu-san!"

"Heisuke, it was my idea first, so you get out of the way, besides you're too young to see something amazing like this!"

"Stop it you two!" Harada-san pulled on their legs, making them fall into the hotsprings, generating a loud splash. Misaki and Chizuru heard the splash, but knew better than to question it. "That's no way to treat a lady, you need to respect them if you want to see them in that state!"

"It was Heisuke's fault! He tried to push me over!"

"What?! No, I didn't. You said it was your idea first!"

"Oh, please, we all know you said that first."

"Shinpatsu-san…" Heisuke got into a battle stance, getting ready to tackle Shinpachi.

"Urusai!* Mo ii*…you'll ruin the reason why we are here. Now, sit down and be quiet!" Hijikata ordered. They did as they were told because they knew that they shouldn't question Hijikata, they were no match for a temper like his. They sat in silence and they heard Misaki and Chizuru talking. All of sudden, Saito's name came up and Saito remained composed, with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. Hijikata did the same, however the other Shinsengumi captains turned to face the fence that blocked them from the females. "Eavesdropping is not a respectable thing to do."

Harada-san said, "Hey, Saito! It seems that Misaki has a thing for you." He waggled his eyebrows at him.

Saito remained composed and did not show any hint of emotion or reaction at Harada's statement. "And where do you get that idea? They simply said my name. That is hardly enough proof. And, why are you calling her Misaki? When did you two become so familiar with each other?" He asked without a hint of emotion.

"They are talking about you, not anyone else. But you."

"I fail to see how this relates to anything or give you a bigger impression of something else."

"But—Saito-san…" Heisuke interrupted, but was stopped by the glare in Saito's eyes. Everyone was silenced and the only thing that could be heard were Chizuru and Misaki's whispers on the other side of the hot springs.

_Much later…_

After everyone had their relaxation time in the hot springs, they filed into the bathrooms one by one, changing into their robes. They ate dinner together and everyone tried so hard to make Misaki smile. She smiled at the thought of them being so concerned about her. Shinpachi yelled, "Yes! There it is!"

Misaki was taken aback, "What?"

"We've been waiting to see that beautiful smile of yours." He replied. Misaki turned slightly red.

"Oh, I made her blush!" He shouted.

"Shinpatsu-san! You're being too loud…" Heisuke shouted equally as loud.

"You drunkards…" Harada-san yelled.

"Oh dear, it seems that they are all drunk. We should play a prank on them." Okita suggested. Shinpachi put an arm around Misaki and Saito instantly glared at his arm. No one noticed this glare, but Misaki tried to move away, feeling uncomfortable with the closeness and the smell of alcohol on Shinpachi's breath. The next moments were mind-boggling. Shinpachi had tried to put his hands over her shoulders, but instead, he had rested his arm on his head. Misaki's eyes instantly widened, feeling terrified as the experience with Takuma as a young child was traumatic. Saito saw this and started to make his way to Misaki, but Shinpachi's hand slipped and pulled her ribbon off, revealing fox ears. Misaki felt her ears perk up as they had been bound to hide them. Saito went over to see if Misaki was okay, but Misaki mistook his gesture for something out of anger. Everyone gasped at the sight of her ears, but Okita, Hijikata and Chizuru weren't surprised. It was as if they knew about her secret life. She immediately grabbed the ribbon back and put it back in it's original spot and ran out the door. Hijikata didn't say anything as well as Okita, but Chizuru got up to go after Misaki. Hijikata told her, "Leave her. She's going through a lot right now and it seems the only person that can comfort her right now is Saito." He looked up and saw him standing where Misaki was. Saito followed after Misaki quickly, trying to find her through the chaos that was Shimabara. He was worried about her being on her own in such a state, it left her vulnerable and he felt responsible for making her feel that way. All he knew was that he had to get her back before she was caught in a situation she could not escape.

**Here is a key for some words that used if you don't know what their direct translations to English are. Did you enjoy this chapter? Give me some feedback. I felt that I needed to speed up the story to make it escalate. Gomenasai for creating a cliffhanger, but I've been working on this chapter for a while and I wrote as much as I thought I should for this chapter. Please R&R! Arigato gozaimasu~ Until Chapter 10! Ja ne~**

*Honto: really

*Urusai: shut up or be quiet

*Mo ii: that's enough, enough.


	11. Tasukete Misaki! Hayaku Saito!

**I hope you enjoyed Chapter 9. That was the longest chapter that I've ever written. Well, the title of Chapter 10 in English means, "Help Misaki! Hurry Saito!" I wanted to make it more dramatic so I created the title with Japanese words I know. Please R&R! Arigato gozaimasu! Ja ne~**

**OtakuMisaki**

Misaki ran and ran as far as her legs carried her. She knew she couldn't go back now that they had seen what she was. She was more upset because she thought that Saito had meant to kill her. She knew that she had become too comfortable with them, so she set out to find a new place to live. She stopped to take a breath until she ran into a group of rogue samurai. "Oh look! She's pretty cute. We should take her back with us." One of the rogue samurai exclaimed. Misaki immediately had her guard up, causing another samurai to blurt out, "Feisty, I like them like that." She pulled out a shuriken and another samurai said, "What a fancy toy…" She threw the shuriken at the first samurai, but missed him by a large margin. Her eyes widened in surprise, she never misaimed. She tried another shuriken, but it didn't work. She pulled out her swords and started attacking, but they easily dodged their attacks. Her eyes widened in fear, feeling incapable of protecting herself. She tried to run away, but one of the rogue samurai grabbed her. "Nuh uh uh…You're not getting away. You're a pretty thing." She squirmed, trying to get away. _I'm sorry I failed you, mother, father._ A tear streamed down her face and she stopped resisting, knowing she couldn't get away. Suddenly, she felt the pressure on her arm disappear. She opened her eyes and saw Saito in the moonlight. She looked around her and saw that all of the rogue samurai were dead. She backed up, thinking she was next. Saito sheathed his sword and walked up to her, "Azuma-san…I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly. She felt slightly better, but she knew she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Then why are you here?" She asked in a whisper.

He looked at her, making eye contact, "To make sure you don't get killed."

"But, I'm not who you think I am…I have these…" She pulled the ribbon off, revealing her ears. "I'm not human. You'll get hurt too, so you should leave."

"I'm not going to leave." He sighed and a blush appeared on his cheeks. "I'm not good with these things, but I'll do my best."

"Huh?" She looked at him in confusion.

He looked at her, the blush deepening, "I accept you for who and what you are. I…I'm in love with you, Azuma-san." Her eyes widened in surprise, Saito was never one to openly share his feelings, so she felt that this was unreal. She searched his eyes, searching for the truth and she knew that he was right because she saw the love and affection in his eyes even though it wasn't expressed in his body language.

"Misaki…"

"What?"

"Call me by my name…Misaki." She blushed, looking away.

Saito's face was furiously red and he slowly pulled her into his arms, "I love you, Misaki."

"I love you, Hajime." They stood there hugging and for once, they felt that no one else was in the world. In the bushes, Kazama and his men were watching them and he smiled in amusement, "So that's what's going on…I knew she was very different, but this is too interesting." Kazama teleported out of there before he was discovered and his men followed him.

**Love confession from Saito?! Wow, I enjoyed writing this chapter. Tell me what you think, until next time! Ja ne~**

**OtakuMisaki**


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